Artificial limb



(No Model.)

W. LOOKWOOD.

ARTIFICIAL LIMB.

No. 314,458. Patented Mar. 24, 1885.

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VVILLSHIRE LOOKVOOD, OF ST. LOUIS, frIiSSOUi-tl.

ARTEFICIAL LIME.

idPECIE'IOATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 314,4:58, dated March 24:, 1885.

Application fied January 8, 1885. (No moth-l.)

To aid whom, it may (BOW/06772,:

Be it known that I, WILLsHInn LOCKWOOD, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Manufacture of Artificial Legs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements of the tendons, ankle, toe, and knee joints, and also of the socket of an artificial leg; and the ob jects of my improvements are, first, to provide more serviceable, non-corroding, selt'lubricating tendons, bushings for thetoe, ankle, and knee joints; second, to use in the construction of the tendons concave boxes and sockets or seats for spherical, globular, cylindrical, and solid ankle and knee joints and bolts; also, to use in the manufacture of the toe, ankle, and knee joint bushings and the bands for the upper sockets or receptacle for the stump a material that is of a very serviceable nature, that is light and will not split, corrode, break easily, wear out fast. and of great tension power. Iattain these objects by manufacturing the tendons, boxes, concave seats, bands, and bushings of the well-known hard and flexible vulcanized vegetable fiber.

The several Wearing-journals being the most important parts of an artificial leg are more clearly illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure 1 is the vertical section of a fulllength artificial leg for an amputation above the knee. Figs. 2 and 5 are views of two dif ferent ankle' joints, more clearly illustrated from Figs. 1 and 3. Fig. 3 is a vertical sec tion of an artificial leg for an amputation below the knee. Fig. 4 represents the kneejoint of Fig. 1.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

A, Figs. 1 and 3, represents a band of flexible vulcanized vegetable fiber firmly connected to the outside of the shell or socket of the leg, near the opening of the same, for the re ception of the stump, the fiber being of a quality that expands and contracts with the ex pansion and contraction of the socket caused by perspiration.

B, Figs. 1 and 3, are the toe-joint bushings of vulcanized vegetable fiber, which are fastened to the footpiece, allowing the toe-piece of the foot to move by each step of the wearer.

U, C, O, and C, Fig. l, are the vulcanized vegetable-fiber bushings and concave boxes of the knee and anklejoints, in connection with the cylindrical and solid knee and ankle bolts for the articulation, and are more clearly illustrated by Figs. 4. and 5.

O 0, Figs. 2 and 8, represent an anklejoint with vulcanized vegetable fiber .sockets, in combination with its center globular part I for its articulation.

T 1, Figs. 1, 3, and I, are the vulcanized vegetabletiber tendons, in combination with their globular ends X X, Figs. 1, 3, and 4, articulating in the vulcanized vegetable-fiber sockets O G in bottom of the foot of Figs. 1 and 3, and more clearly illustrated in detail in Fig. 4-.

I am aware that prior to my invention bands made of rawhide, metal, leather, and more especially of brass and copper wire, have been used, and that Letters Patent for the latter were granted to B. F. Palmer, April 8, 1873, No. 187,711.

I am also aware that vulcanized rubber, wood, and metal have been used in the construction ot'the concave sockets and boxes for the spherical, globular, and cylindrical ankle and knee joints of an artificial leg to rotate in; and I am aware that the bushings for the toe, ankle, and knee joints of an artificial leg have been made of leather, metal, rawhide, and buckskin.

I am also aware that tendons have been made by a combination of thread, vulcanized rubber, leather, and metal; also. of a combination of rawhide and metal and of catgut, wire, and

metal ofivarious kinds.

I am also aware that very many patents have been granted for vulcanized vegetable fiber,

and am aware that many patents have been granted for the application of it for various uses to prevent undue wear. I therefore do not claim such a combination, broadly. Neither do I claim that I am the inventor of the well-known vulcanized vegetable fiber; but

WVhat I do claim as myinvention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an artificial limb, the band a, of Vul- 3. In an artificial limb, the tendons mide canized vegetable fiber, surrounding the sockof vulcanized vegetable fiber, as and for the 10 et, as and for the purpose described. purpose described.

2. .In an artificial limb, the combination of 5 the toe, ankle, and bolt bushings, the concave VILLSHIRE LOOKWOOD' sockets, and boxes of vulcanized vegetable Witnesses: fiber, substantially as described and for the JNo. LEWIS, purpose specified. l J. L. O. HENKEL. 

